The public will get a say on massive cuts being proposed by Kirklees Council.

Ideas to slash £69m from the council’s budget over the next three years have been revealed and Cabinet last night put them out to wider debate.

And the message from senior councillors - we need to put people before buildings.

Clr David Sheard said the wider public had to be aware that £1/4bn a year is spent caring for vulnerable people: “If you compare that to the £70m for the whole Place directorate then people will realise how much we spend caring for people.

“In some cases we need £100,000 a year to look after one person, we have those responsibilities.”

Clr Jean Calvert, the deputy leader, said it was “unfortunate” they had to put the proposals forward.

Clr Peter McBride, Cabinet member for Place, urged greater awareness of the social care responsibilities on their budgets.

Proposals include a council tax rise of 2% - or potentially 5% - drastically cut funding for museums, libraries, public halls, school crossing patrols, parks, while ending cash for public events and cuts to street cleaning have been mooted.

Small residential care facilities are under review; environmental health inspectors will end routine checks to food outlets and only go in after complaints; the noise and pollution service will be cut; and school transport subsidies for those attending faith schools will be scrapped.

There are no plans to end the school transport subsidy for children with special educational needs.

The option being put forward is to reduce – not end – the school transport subsidy as part of the overall savings that need to be made by the council.

A Kirklees spokesman said: "We are looking to make savings to the service by operating it in a different way.

"This may affect the subsidy for pupils at faith schools, but we would work with schools and the diocese as part of the discussions.

"The budget papers make clear that the target saving for school transport is £455,000, which would still leave a remaining subsidy of almost £3million."

No decisions have yet been made, feedback will be debated and the Full Council will thrash out the budgets in February 2015.